Internal combustion engine



Nov. 1, 1932. A. A. SCHE'LL INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 27, 1952 1 3 Sheets-Sheet A.A.Schel Nov. 1', 1932. A. A. SCHELL INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 2'7, 1932 '5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR A.A.Sr1zeLL BY ATTQRlIEY Nov. 1, 1932. A. A SCHELL INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 27, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet Z5 cheLL Patented Nov. 1, 1932 I since INTERNAL COhIBUSTION ENGINE ,AppHcation filed February 27, 1932. Serial 1%. 595,513.

' eliminates the need of the usual crank shaft.

A crank shaft, as is wellknown, is both an expensive unit to manufacture and is a source of considerable vibration especially if not accurately machined and counterbalanced. My improved construction cuts down the manufacturing cost considerably and also practically eliminates vibration. Also the possibility of burning out connecting rod bearings, which is frequent in ordinary engines, is also eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to con struct the engine so that a high shaft speed will be obtained with a relatively low piston speed so that the wear on the reciprocating parts is correspondingly reduced.

Another object is to arrange power producing units of the engine relative to the drive shaft so that the power impulses are imparted to the shaft from above and below the same alternately, and along parallel lines tangent to the shaft, so that the utmost power is obtaincd from the explosions.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views 1 Fig. l is a sectional elevation of the engine showing the internal gear block in one position relative to the shaft pinion.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the block of the arms as shown in Fi 3.

Mounted in the end walls ofthecase in opposed relation to each other are transversely spaced pairs of cylinders 2, which project outwardly from the ends of the case and are open to the interior of the same. Pistons 3 of ordinary.character are slidable inlthe cylinder, from which pistons connecting rods 4 project. The rods of the twopairs of cylinders extcndon opposite sides of and'are pivotally secured to a slide block 5 adjacent its endsby pins p j The block is formed with an internal gear which comprisesp'a'rallel and horizontal rack portions 6 and semi-circular end portions 6a; the length between said end portions corresponding to the stroke of the pistons. The internal gears are engaged by a pinion 7 mounted on a transverse driveshaft8 journaled in bearing blocks 9 formed in the case 1. 'Thepinion is the same width as the block 5 but its diameter is suliiciently smaller than the space between the top and bottom rack portions of thegear, so thatwhen the pinion is engaged with one rack portion it is well clear of the other. I

T he block 5 is mounted for vertical sliding movement in a surrounding cage 10 which is slidably supported on a longitudinal bar 11 mounted in the case. The cage is secured to an auxiliary frame which comprises arms 12 diverging from above and centrally of the cage to and down the ends of the same. The arms project below the cage to receive the bar 11in sliding relation ,The arms are secured at their upper ends to a block 13 disposed therebetween, and which is slidably mounted for vertical movement in a, cage l'which projects to the sides necting arm units 15 are securedto the cage i l on its opposite sides and extend to'the gear block to which they are connected by the pins P. A. spring 16 to'counterbalancethe Rigid conweight of'the gear block extendsbetween the bottom ofthe case 1 and the top of the cage 10. i

Projecting laterally from the gear block on opposite sides toward its ends are lugsl'? which automatically engage the upper and lower surfaces of horizontalguide bars 18 mounted rigid with the case 1. These lugs are arranged so that when riding on top of the bars the pinion 7 is then engaged with the lower rack portion of the internal gear, as shown in Fig. 1; and When the lugs engage the under side of said bars the pinion engages the upper rack portion of the gear, as shown in 2. The length of the guide bars relative to the length of the gear and the stroke of the pistons is such that as the pinion engages one of the rounded portions 6a of the internal gear, the lugs pass about the rounded ends of the corresponding guide bars.

In operation it will therefore be seen that an explosion in either pair of cylinders will cause the gear block to be moved lengthwise, rotating the pinion and shaft; the block 5, the cage 10, the auxiliary frame 12 and connected parts moving as a unit. When the end of a stroke is reached the pinion moves about the round gear portion without being disengaged from the gear or altering its diriction of rotation until said pinion engages the other rack portion; such movement being accompanied by a shifting in the level of the gear box. The explosive effort in the other pair of cylinders then forces the gear block in the opposite direction until the cor responding end of the stroke is reached, whereupon the level of the gear block is again altered. With such changing in level of the gear block the connecting rods have a certain turning action on the pins P and on the piston wrist pins, but this movement is so small that there is no tendency of the pin hearings ever burning out.

The engine frame or case is formed with a longitudinal oil well into which the gear b ock and adjacent parts are disposed and which is deep enough to keep the lower portion of the internal gear and pinion immersed in a path of oil so that all moving parts may be thoroughly lubricated. While I have not shown any valve or timing mech anisms it will be obvious that such mechanism may be of the ordinary character and operated as usual by reason of the rotation of the drive shaft.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills: the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mechanism for converting reciprocatory to rotary motion, a shaft having a pinion thereon, a reciprocatory cage mounted for movement in a rectilinear path, an internal oblong gear shiftable transversely within the cage an engaging the pinion, means to shift the gear transversely at the ends of the reciprocatory stroke thereof, and means to counterbalance the weight of the gear COIIIPIlSlIlg a compression spring supported on and upstanding from the cage centrally of its ends, a block overhanging and engaging the top of the spring, and arm units secured to the opposite sides of the block and extending thence to and secured to the sides of the gear adjacent its ends.

2. A structure as in claim 1, with means rigid with the cage slidably engaging the block.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ARTHUR A. SCHELL. 

